Introduction
Today, we are going to examine the complex and extreme set of beliefs of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani, founder of the Ahmadiyya (also known as qadiani/kadiani/mirzai) cult. Beliefs that involved a lifestyle consisting of years of cross-dressing, claims of pregnancy and self-birth, divine revelations, and assertions of being God or equivalent to religious messiahs, suffering from impotence before declaring a miraculous healing, etc.
What could explain such behavior? Is this a case of psychosis, gender dysphoria, autogynephilia, or something else entirely? Let’s break it down.
1. The Core Symptoms: A Textbook Case of Psychosis?
The most striking feature of Mirza’s behavior is the grandiose, bizarre, and religiously themed delusions, including:
- Claiming to be the major religious figure of every major religion (a sign of delusions of grandeur).
- Believing he was pregnant for ten months and gave birth to himself (a psychotic metaphor, possibly pseudocyesis in males).
- Receiving divine revelations and asserting sexual encounters with a deity (indicative of religious delusions and possible hallucinations).
- Declaring himself equivalent to God’s son and eventually God Himself (a messianic delusion).
Most Likely Diagnosis: Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder
These symptoms strongly suggest a psychotic disorder, most likely:
- Schizophrenia (paranoid or grandiose subtype) – Due to the chronic, fixed delusions and possible hallucinations.
- Schizoaffective Disorder – If there were also extreme mood swings alongside psychosis.
Why not just eccentric spirituality?
While some mystics report divine experiences, the systematized, identity-altering nature of these beliefs—alongside bizarre claims like self-pregnancy—points to pathology, not just religiosity.
2. Gender Identity: Autogynephilia or Psychotic Gender Dysphoria?
Mirza Ghulam Qadiani claimed to have lived as a woman for two years before becoming pregnant for another 10 months and giving birth to himself. Specifically, Mirza claimed to have become Virgin Mary A.S., mother of Prophet Isa A.S. (Kashti Nuh – Ruhani Khazain Vol 19 page 50).
On another occasion Mirza claimed to have received a “revelation” that one of his opponents, one Babu Ilahi Bakhsh, wanted to see his menstruation blood (Tatma Haqeeqat ul Wahi – Roohani Khazain Vol 22 page 581).
Mirza’s son, Bashir Ahmad M.A. has claimed in his book Seerat-al-Mahdi, that for many years, Mirza used to wear Gharara. A traditional Indian dress worn by Muslim women (Seerat ul Mahdi Vol 1 page 59-60).
These bizarre claims and the habit of casual cross dressing raise questions about Mirza’s gender identity. Could autogynephilia (AGP)—a male’s sexual arousal at the idea of being female—explain this?
Autogynephilia (If Present)
- Might explain cross-dressing and feminization desires.
- However, AGP alone doesn’t cause delusions of pregnancy, divinity, or hallucinations.
More Likely: Psychotic Gender Disturbance
- Some psychotic individuals develop delusional cross-gender beliefs (e.g., “God turned me into a woman”).
- Unlike true gender dysphoria, this would be part of their psychosis, not an independent identity.
Verdict: Mirza shows clear signs of suffering from AGP, although the dominant issue is psychosis.
3. The Impotence and “Divine Healing”
Mirza, in one of his writings, has mentioned that he had been impotent for years before God “fixed” him. What does this suggest? (Letter number 15 written to Kakeem Nooruddin – Maktobat Ahamad Vol 2 page 27)
Possible Causes of Impotence:
- Psychogenic (Stress/Anxiety from Mental Illness) – Psychosis can severely disrupt normal functioning.
- Antipsychotic Medication Side Effects – Many such drugs cause sexual dysfunction.
- Gender Identity Conflict – If he unconsciously rejected his male role.
- Autogynephilia-Related Arousal Issues – If he could only be aroused by feminization, not intercourse.
The “Miracle Cure”: A Delusional Narrative
- The “healing” was likely either:
- A natural recovery he attributed to God (due to his delusional framework).
- A complete fabrication to reinforce his divine self-image.
Conclusion: His impotence was psychologically driven, and its resolution was folded into his grandiose delusions and affinity to Autogynephilia.
Final Diagnosis: Schizophrenia with Religious & Gender-Related Delusions
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani represents a severe psychotic disorder (likely schizophrenia) with:
- Grandiose/messianic delusions (believing he was God).
- Bizarre somatic delusions (pregnancy and self-birth).
- Possible autogynephilic tendencies (though secondary to psychosis).
- Psychogenic sexual dysfunction woven into his delusional narrative.
The extreme systematized delusions that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani suffered from, suggest a long-term, treatment-resistant condition.
Conclusion: A Tragic Case of Psychotic Grandiosity
Mirza Qadiani’s story is a stark example of how severe psychosis can warp identity, sexuality, and spirituality into an all-consuming delusional system. While autogynephilia or gender dysphoria might play a role, the primary driver is schizophrenia or a related psychotic disorder.
What do you think? Could there be another explanation, or does this analysis cover the most likely possibilities? Let me know in the comments!